Creative Ideas for Adult Sabbath School
25 Ideas You Can Use to
Build a Dynamic Sabbath School
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Ideas About Organizati on
Idea No. 1
Write a Statement of Mission for Your Sabbath School
ď Ż A statement of mission is a declaration that states what your Sabbath School is all about and what you wish to accomplish. It sets a general direction for your Sabbath School, but it does not need to include specific strategies or activities.
Statement of Mission Use these questions for what you want to include: Who are we? Why are we here? What do we hope to accomplish? What do we expect will happen as a result?
Sample Statement Of Mission The adult Sabbath School of the ________Seventh-day Adventist Church is established to _________ and ________. It is our conviction that the Sabbath School should ______________ and _______________. In accordance with these convictions we want our Sabbath School to demonstrate attitudes of _________. We will do this by ____________________________. It is our expectation that as a result of the adult Sabbath School program of our church we will grow in numbers, develop a deeper spiritual experience, and increase our level of discipleship and commitment to ministry in our local area and the worldwide mission of the church.
Idea No. 2
Organize a Viable Planning Committee
Find some people in your church that you know are creative and have good ideas. Ask them to form an ad hoc adult Sabbath School planning committee to come up with some creative ideas. Have them meet with the adult Sabbath School superintendents and brainstorm. You do not have to ask anyone’s permission to form such a group, because it is just a think tank. The Sabbath School Council still makes any final decisions.
Idea No. 3
Plan Your Programs for a Year in Advance
Too many adult Sabbath Schools run on a week-to-week basis with no particular rhyme or reason. All too often the person in charge contacts someone on Friday night to “read the mission story� in Sabbath School the next day.
Organize a major planning session at the beginning of the year ď ą This session may be four to six hours long.
ď ą Tentatively lay out programs for the year. The key principle is to plan programs tentatively for the entire year, definitely for the quarter.
Idea No. 4
Use Some Forms to Plan Your Work
Annual Activities Planner Quarterly Program Planner Weekly Program Planning Guide
Annual Activities Planner J Study Fel. Com
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Idea No. 5
Ways to Organize the Work of the Superintendents
1. Each superintendent can be assigned a certain number of programs during the year and each one plans all the activities for those programs 2. Each superintendent takes charge of a different aspect of the program and does this one thing for the year.
Sabbath School Superintendents Superintendent 1 — Study and teachers Superintendent 2 — Fellowship Superintendent 3 — Community outreach (Personal Ministries) Superintendent 4 — World mission emphasis
Idea No. 6
Develop a Theme for the Programs
One way to keep the interest level high is to develop programs around themes. You can narrow themes down to one a month, or even choose a different theme for each Sabbath of the month and use this scheme for a quarter, or even a whole year.
“Theme of the Month” Plan January: Step Ahead Month Every member should learn to do one new thing.
February: Youth Month Give the youth a prominent place in Sabbath School.
March: Evangelism Month
“Theme of the Month” Plan April: Know Your Church Month Emphasis on our Adventist heritage.
May: Christian Family Month Emphasis on graduates, Mother-Daughter Banquet, etc.
June: Missions Month Special focus on Adventist world missions.
“Theme of the Month” Plan July: Recreation Month Sabbath School picnic, social activity in every class.
August: Get Acquainted Month
Every Sabbath School member find five new friends.
September: Homecoming Month Members contact non-attendees. Major Rally Day.
“Theme of the Month” Plan October: Teacher Recognition Month Teacher recognition service, Teacher/Officer banquet.
November: Stewardship Month Thank offerings. Emphasis on Investment.
December: Good Will Month Christmas program, Decision Day for New Year.
MORE IDEAS FOR THEMES
Adventist Heroes Unique Religious Experiences Adventist Heritage How I Found Adventism Songs of Adventism Where Does Sabbath School Money Go?
Idea No. 7
Choose Alternative Curriculums for Special Needs and Groups
How to set up and use your own personal soulwinning network. Parenting classes for young adults. How to be single and survive. Pastor’s class Discipling classes How to discover and use your spiritual gifts. How to give Bible studies.
Idea No. 8
Set Goals for Attendance & Sabbath School Ministries
Set goals for attendance and the number of ministries your Sabbath School carries out. Use percentages instead of numbers. Develop progress charts to show how you are doing.
Idea No. 9
Write Out “10 Commandments� for Your Sabbath School
Maintain a roll and attendance record. Check the roll every week. Follow up on absentees.
Write Out “10 Commandments� for Your Sabbath School Strictly observe the starting and stopping times. Make the time in Sabbath School count. Be enthusiastic. Provide fellowship opportunities.
Write Out “10 Commandments� for Your Sabbath School
Make Sabbath School enjoyable for visitors. Use imagination in room setting and finding space.
Do all the good you can.
Write out “10 Commandments” for your Sabbath School
Make Sabbath School part of “going to church.”
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Ideas For Increasing Attendance
Idea No. 1
Develop a Program of Fellowship
Fellowship and participation are the keys to a successful Sabbath School. Use the “Total Hour Learning” system in your Sabbath School
Idea No. 2
Use a Survey to Assess Needs
ď Ż Use a survey ď Ž Organize some people in your Sabbath School to contact nonattendees and get their input
ADVERTISE YOUR SABBATH SCHOOL
Idea No. 3
Advertise Sabbath School Use your church newsletter, bulletin, and mailing list to advertise your Sabbath School programs Advertise to the community
Your church Communications Secretary can help design an advertising program.
Advertise to the General Public Sabbath School is Christian education, so you can advertise it just that way. How about an advert in the local newspaper that says: “New Vistas in Christian Education for You and Your Family.” Obtain a list of the people in your church’s sphere of influence that have children of the ages that fit your children’s departments. Send them something that describes your program and invite the kids. Mention that you have classes for the adults, and you will get them too.
Idea Organize Your Sabbath School Classes Around No. 4 the OIKOS Principle Oikos is the Greek word that literally means “house.” In the Bible, however, it is used in the sense of “household.” A “household” in this sense means the network of people with whom you have contact. That includes friends, neighbors, associates at work, patients that come though your office, clients you see houses to; anyone you have anything to do with. (Read Mark 2:14, 15.)
Here’s How Oikos Works Fill in a diagram that identifies a person’s oikos. Always keep five names in the circles on the form. Relatives Friends Work Associates
You
STEP 2. Pray regularly and specifically for the people on your Oikos diagram
Develop a Discipleship Plan 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
Attentive listening. How can I learn to listen to the person I am working with so that I can “hear� what they are really saying? Relating to needs. What specific needs does this person have that I can help with? Identifying receptive periods. When is this person most likely to listen to me, or to respond to the gospel? Appropriate timing. Ask the Lord to tell you when it is the right time to invite the person to church, or ask for a decision, etc. Understandable language. Those of us who are involved in the church speak a language that people not involved often do not understand. A discipleship plan needs to be communicated in understandable language.
Idea No. 5
Build a Viable Prospect List
ď Ż A viable prospect list means that you will have an up-to-date list of names to whom you can send newsletters, invitations to church events, people you can visit, and to whom you can give Bible studies.
Prospect List Develop a workable plan to keep yourself informed about SS/Church prospects within your own congregation
Make a survey of the congregation to see who is and who is not being reached by the Sabbath School Build a list of names for recruitment into the Sabbath School. You can keep this list on cards, in a notebook, or on a computer
Develop a plan for systematically communicating with people on your prospect list who have attended church functions such as health classes or Revelation Seminars.
Idea No. 6
Use Incentives and Interesting Arrangements to Build Attendance
Incentives and unique plans seem to have the aura of “promotion” in some circles, and some Sabbath Schools tend to avoid them. These Sabbath Schools are also very often empty. Here are some unique plans that can help you increase your attendance.
1. SPECIAL DAYS ATTENDANCE PLAN For special days such as Rally Days or the time around Easter, for instance, set class and department goals and then contact people who will promise to attend on that special day. If you set an attendance goal of 500 for that day, print 750 attendance cards on red cardboard and distribute them to Sabbath School members. Dynamicville SDA Church I promise that I will be one of 500 people attending class on _______ (name the day. Signature
2. Draw a Large Cross •Draw a large cross with spaces for the 500 signed cards. Begin about a month before the special day. Each Sabbath collect the cards of people who have signed and stick them ont he cross. Watch the cross fill up as the special day approaches. •When the cross is full, you have attained your goal.
500
Cards go in these spaces
“FILL THE TRIANGLE� PLAN Divide a triangle into three parts, each marked by a hook. Divide each class into groups of three. Put the names of each on a piece of cardboard with a hole at the top. The goal is for each one to make sure the other two are at Sabbath School each week for a month. When they come in, each one hangs his card on a hook on their triangle.
The “Fill a Pew” Plan In this plan, a “captain” is assigned one row of seats or pews. He or she is responsible for that row. The point is to keep the row full every Sabbath. This row needs four more people In this illustration, each row holds 10 people. Row A Row B RowCC Row
XXXXXX XXXX XXXXXXXX
The “Three-Find-One� Plan Post three names of class members on a board that has room for four names. The three members whose names are on the board are responsible for getting one more so the board is full. Member A
Member C
Member B
Idea No. 7
Once a year hold a special class on how to do evangelism through the Sabbath School
ď Ż Part 1. Fundamentals of Adventism. The purpose is to rapidly review what members will teach to other people. ď Ż Part 2. How to find people to teach. Use some of the other ideas already outlined for increasing attendance and finding receptive people.
Idea No. 8
USE SPECIAL DAYS TO INCREASE ATTENDANCE Pathfinder Day Departmental Promotion Days Rally Day The closest Sabbath to Oct. 22
Idea No. 9
Build a Viable Prospect List
ď Ż A viable prospect list means that you will have an up-to-date list of names to whom you can send newsletters, invitations to church events, people you can visit, and to whom you can give Bible studies.
Ideas for Dynamic Sabbath School Classes
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Idea Give Your Classes an Identity No. CLASS NAME 1 GROUP Career Class Ambassadors Joint Heirs Galileans I Galileans II Agape Fellowship Koinonians Friendship
Single adults 24-35 Singles and single parents Married couples 18-30 Adults 28+ Adults 35+ Adults 45+ Ages 50-65 Ages 60+
Ide a
Review and Increase Your Resources
No. Fix up the Sabbath School 2 out old junk, rooms. Throw fix water leaks, paint walls, put up attractive wallpaper.
Get your teachers some resources. Get enough white boards for each teacher to write on.
Ide a
Get Some Audio-Visual Equipment and Keep It in Working Order
No. ď Ż Convince your church to 3 invest in a video
projector. PowerPoint is the latest and most effective tool for communicating.
Ide a
No. ď Ż Most adult SS classes meet in 4 different
Experiment With Different Seating Arrangements
sections of church sanctuaries in pews. Neither the teacher nor the student can hear each other. Try moveable chairs to promote discussion.
Ide a No. 5
Start New Classes
Let the new classes find their own space. They will be creative. Find small areas for small classes. For example, a room now filled with junk, an unused corner in the lobby, in the pastor’s study, in the kitchen.
Ide a
ď Ż
No. Sabbath School Action Units is another6 way of utilizing the focus group principle. They convert the SS class to include effective outreach strategies and nurture the class members themselves themselves. Contact your local conference SS Department.
Organize Your Sabbath School into Action Units
Ide a No. 7
Have Each Class Take on a Project ď Ż Class projects can be anything from taking kids on a picnic to keeping contact with students away at college.
Ideas for Teacher Training
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Ide a
Get Your Teachers Involved in the International Sabbath School Teacher’s Training Association
No. ď Ż This program takes your 1
teachers step by step through a complete training process. Contact your local conference Sabbath School Dept. for information.
Ide a
Use a Spiritual Gifts
Inventory to Identify Called and Gifted Sabbath School Teachers
No. ď Ż Use the spiritual gifts inventory 2 included to identify the spiritually gifted teachers in your congregation. Then use them as SS teachers. Contact your local conference SS Dept. for information.